OCEAN CITY – There are nine candidates seeking four seats on the Ocean City Board of Education in the Nov. 8 election.
Six of the candidates, including three incumbents and three challengers, are vying for the three three-year terms on the board. The three incumbents are Dr. Patrick Kane, Dr. Charles Roche and Gregory Whelan. The challengers are Kevin Barnes, Liz Nicoletti and Catherine Panico. Nicoletti and Panico ran for the board last November.
Three candidates are running to fill the unexpired one-year term for a board member who resigned over the summer.
The three are Ryan Leonard, who was appointed in August to fill the seat until the end of December, former board member Dale Braun and Robin Shaffer. All three ran for the board last November.
All of the candidates are profiled in this week’s edition except for Whelan, who did not return a profile questionnaire in time for deadline of this edition.
Polling hours for the election are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 8.
Kevin Barnes, challenger:
Board must be transparent
OCEAN CITY – Kevin Barnes believes the education and wellness of every student in the Ocean City School District must be better served, that parents should be more involved in their education and that the Board of Education must be more transparent in its decision-making process.
The native of Ocean City and “proud graduate” of Ocean City High School has five other family members who are OCHS graduates. His “two awesome daughters” now attend the Intermediate School.
Barnes is an attorney at law with a private practice located in Ocean City for the past 20 years. In addition he is an adjunct professor of business law and of economics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Widener University, a juris doctorate from The Delaware Law School and a master of laws in taxation from the Temple University School of Law.
He said a driving influence for running for the Ocean City Board of Education is the success and well-being of his daughters and believes his career as an attorney and education give him the tools to be an asset on the board.
“As an attorney I have developed legal and logical reasoning skills necessary in effective negotiation. I strive to employ sound judgment, even temper, and a willingness to collaborate. As an educator at the collegiate level, I witness the deficiencies in education that many high school graduates have that must be addressed now for the success of all future graduates,” Barnes said. “I am truly a ‘local,’ a product of the Ocean City School District, and a father to two future alumni. I have a vested interest in the success of the Ocean City School District.
If elected, he said his focus will be on the students in the district and that their education and wellness must be better served.
“The performance scores in math, science and language arts are not adequate and must be addressed. Wellness and safety must be addressed. Every child, regardless of race, gender, identity or preference is entitled to an exceptional education in a safe environment free from harassment and discrimination,” he said. “Mental health must be better served. We can do better and we must do better.”
Parents, he said, must be “brought back to the table and recognized for their role as the primary arbiter in the education and well-being of their children.” He added that teachers must be recognized for their excellence and facilitated with the tools necessary for student success, safety, and well-being.
He also believes the school board “must engage in self-evaluation and training in an effort to improve leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. The school board, parents, teachers, and administrators must be afforded the opportunity to work together on a curriculum that is effective and age appropriate.”
Barnes wants to address the issues he said have plagued the board for years – lack of transparency and accountability.
“The school board must be much more transparent in their deliberations and decision-making processes. The parents and the community have a right to know the ‘how and why’ of school board decisions,” he said, arguing that executive session is overused and must be limited to matters that are truly confidential, including matters that by law must remain confidential.
“The purpose of an executive session must be announced prior to going into closed session and only the specifically announced subject should be discussed. Two-hour executive sessions at the start of a public meeting are not acceptable,” he said.
In August, the board held executive sessions for more than two hours as the audience waited in the high school library before returning and voting on controversial topics with no comment on their decision-making prior to the votes.
“The school board members must display accountability,” Barnes said. “ A simple yes or no answer is not acceptable on significant issues. Our students, parents, and community deserve to know the reasoning behind member votes on any particular issue. I understand that these may not be an easy disclosures but disclosure must be a part of the job description. All stakeholders have a right to know.”
Dr. Patrick Kane, incumbent:
Build unity, expand transparency, community, move district forward
OCEAN CITY – Current Ocean City Board of Education President Patrick Kane, seeking re-election after his first term, said he is committed to expanding communication and transparency, building a sense of unity and propelling the district forward.
Kane is the CEO of the Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. A hand and microvascular surgeon, he brought his family to Ocean City eight years ago and has three children in district schools – Liam in second grade, Tierney in fourth grade and Grace in fifth grade.
He grew up in South Jersey and always came to the shore. He used to lifeguard for Avalon.
“When we were looking for a place to raise our family, we thought Ocean City was a great fit because of the community values and the great schools,” Kane said.
Prior to medical school, he was a math teamer at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School and before his CEO position, he was Clinical Director of Research at the Hand to Shoulder Center and has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, presented research nationally and internationally regarding hand and orthopaedic surgery.
With a lifelong appreciation for education, Kane cites his background as valuable for service on the school board, which he said provides unique opportunities and challenges to “guide the strategic direction with our schools.”
“I understand the necessity and importance education plays in the development of a person and their ability to contribute to society,” he said. “My practice of medicine is focused in Cape May County and this has allowed me over the last eight years to develop tremendous relationships within the community.”
He added that serving as CEO of his medical group has given him experience in leadership of a large corporation. “Whether it is a corporation or a school district many of the challenges are similar and the common theme for success is strong, effective and knowledgeable leadership.”
Kane said his priorities include “continuing to work together to build a sense of collaboration and team unity, while at the same time, advancing the district forward for all students and members of our school community.”
He noted during this school year the district will continue to expand its communication and transparency, “two areas which are extremely important to the community.”
“The goal for the remainder of the calendar year is to focus on school safety and student wellness,” he said.
At the beginning of the school year, new Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Friedman announced the district will be posting all curricula online for all grades so parents can see what their children are being taught. That process will take a number of months.
During his first term on the board, Kane said he was proud to lead the COVID committee. The pandemic, he said, was a very challenging environment.
“We were one of the first districts to return to in-person education and one of the first districts to return to five-day-a-week instruction, while remaining compliant with health recommendations and optimizing the safety of our staff and students,” Kane said. The district was able to offer vaccination clinics for staff and the community by partnering with local health networks.
He said the committee “was an excellent example of the community at large working together for the betterment of our schools and children. As a society we have learned to live with COVID and as we attempt to move forward we have transformed the COVID committee into our health and wellness committee so that we continue as a board of education to help support our students and staff.”
Serving as the board president over the past year, he said, has been a rewarding experience and he feels fortunate to have helped advance the priorities of the school board.
Kane cited the “many accomplishments” in the areas of communication and transparency.
“We have posted our meeting minutes and video recordings online, we have started a monthly newsletter updating the community on our work, we have worked synergistically with the schools with the formation of parent academies and our ‘sit with the super’ meetings,” he said. “All of this has been done in an effort to improve our communication with the community.”
Liz Nicoletti, challenger:
Bring district to new level, stand for Ocean City’s core values
OCEAN CITY – Liz Nicoletti said she is excited to run for the Ocean City Board of Education because of her competitive nature, team spirit and conservative values.
With those attributes, she said, “I can help bring the Ocean City School District to a whole new level and stand for what Ocean City’s core values were founded on.”
Nicoletti and her husband of 20 years, Bill, have four children in the district. Although they moved full-time to the resort three years ago, they have owned a home here for 20 years.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been able to come to Ocean City, N.J., my whole life as my parents have had a home here for over 50 years,” she said. “One of my favorite summer jobs was working for the Ocean City Recreation Department.”
She and her husband raised their children in Wilmington, Del., and had them in private school until they moved to the resort.
She said she has been a lifelong competitor. She is an athletic Hall of Fame recipient at Saint Joseph’s University, was on a field hockey scholarship and walked onto the basketball team as they were 15th in the nation. She was given the athlete award at her high school, Saint Marks, in Wilmington, and captained her high school and college sports teams. Nicoletti said she was a a high scorer during one of her summers playing in the women’s rec basketball league in Ocean City and won a team championship.
She managed a group of tennis players for the organization’s People to People Sports Ambassador Program that competed in Australia and New Zealand and ran a tennis program at MBNA America bank for 10 years. Nicoletti said she enjoyed volunteering with USTA wheelchair tennis tournaments and bringing tennis to the inner cities, otherwise known as “tennis in the streets.” She said she was named PTR pro of the year and USTA club of the year during her time there.
She has been part of the Parent Teacher Organization and is proud of the leaders who are advocating for and working to arrange a senior class trip to Disney World.
“What an academic incentive and a wonderful way to make great memories for forever at Ocean City High School,” she said.
Nicoletti, who ran for the school board last year, believes the public school system “is under the microscope nationally.”
“We are at a precipice,” she said. “I believe our children are being put in a position to handle things that their brains are just not ready for. I love all kids. I want the best for all kids and I believe strongly in the United States Constitution and that we should go back to the basics. We have gotten way off course.”
She said she was an elementary education major at Saint Joe’s and has experience teaching fifth, sixth and seventh grades.
“As a former teacher, parent and now mom I believe the school is and should be an extension of the home,” she said. “With my extensive experience with being on teams and in the classroom I believe I will do a great job helping to unite our school atmosphere considering my favorite slogan, ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort.’”
“I do not take that lightly. I love Ocean City. I would consider it an honor to be a part of the Ocean City school board and I am confident I would work well with the current board members,” she said.
Catherine Panico, challenger:
Wants to share lifetime of service for betterment of schools
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Board of Education candidate Catherine Panico said she believes in transparency, accountability and fostering collaboration with everyone involved in the education of students.
She describes herself as grounded, sensible and dedicated.
“I am running for school board to give everyone a voice and to rally behind our children,” she said. “Our children do not have lobbyists or unions to push their agendas. Our children have parents and caregivers who want to be partners in their children’s education and to instill their own family values. We want our children to feel safe, cared for and valued as unique individuals.”
Panico said she is the mother of four and has been a teacher, a coach and a volunteer.
“We have four kids that went to school in this district, which is ultimately why we moved here,” she said.
Avery, 21, is at Drexel University; Paige, 19, is at Auburn University; Marin, 18, is at the College of Charleston; and Brooke, 14, is at Ocean City High School.”
She manages her family’s dental offices in Ocean City and Rio Grande.
She said as a representative of the school board, she “will be the voice of the community and represent all of the stakeholders including the parents, students and the taxpayers.”
Panico said a priority would be to “build cohesion and make decisions that work for our families. I will push for collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that our students’ needs are met and that we set them up for success. Additionally, I feel it is important for the board to be transparent and accountable to the community. Communication between schools and parents is imperative for student success. Policies and curriculum design are best communicated publicly and to be free from political bias.”
Qualities that would help her on the board include the fact she was a teacher, she said.
“I have experience in the classroom and in curriculum development. I can use my knowledge to help the board make sound decisions, which will improve the outcomes for all our students. As small-business owners in Cape May County, I understand management and working with a team of professionals to get the job done. And as a mother, which I consider to be the best preparation for this position, I always do what’s in the kids’ best interest even if they don’t see it at the time,” Panico said.
“I understand the family values of the Ocean City community, therefore will advocate for them, be the voice of reason and unify the board to get things done.”
Dr. Charles Roche, incumbent:
Use reasoned persepective; students need safe and positive environment
OCEAN CITY – Charles Roche, MD, believes he brings a reasoned perspective to the Ocean City Board of Education.
An internal medicine primary care physician with an office on Haven Avenue, he joined the board last fall due to a retirement of a sitting member.
“My sole interest and guiding principle in making decisions is to have the district function in a way that enables all of our students to learn in a safe and positive environment,” he said.
“My relationships with the people of the town as well as leaders in the business and government communities locally enables me to gather input from multiple stakeholders across wide demographics to help inform my decisions.”
He grew up in Delaware County, Pa., and enjoyed a week in Ocean City with his family each summer. Roche has lived on the island the past seven years.
“My wife grew up in Egg Harbor Township and when the opportunity arose to move to Ocean City we decided that it would be the perfect place to raise our two daughters,” he said. Their daughters are 8 and 12 and in third grade at the Primary School and Sixth Grade at the Intermediate School, respectively.
Roche listed four priorities if he gets re-elected to the board:
– “Promoting inclusivity for all our students;
– “Ensuring that our schools have the resources and personnel necessary to help our students achieve at the highest possible level;
– “Supporting and encouraging our faculty and staff as they continue to improve the educational experience for every student in our schools; and
– “Working with our superintendent and other district leaders to maintain and improve our district.”
He believes one of the most important contributions he has made over the past year was working with Interim Superintendent Dr. Thomas Baruffi “to navigate our schools, students, and staff back to the classroom safely after two years of restrictions due to COVID-19.”
Another contribution was helping to interview and select the new superintendent, Dr. Matthew Friedman, “enabling our district to take the next steps toward excellence and to set a course for the future.”
The following candidates are seeking the one-year term on the board
Dale Braun, challenger:
Experience important for serving a one-year term
OCEAN CITY — Dale Braun said he is running to get back on the Ocean City Board of Education because he believes experience is important with the issues ahead and the need to keep improving the school district.
“I want to continue raising our standards so it’s educating each and every student,” Braun said. “I think we’ve done very well with our Advanced Placement and honors at the high school, but we need to continue that with some of the other kids, including special education so that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn and we get the best potential out of each student.”
Braun is retired as a senior vice president and controller for a bank in Burlington County, where he worked for about 20 years. His entire banking career spanned about 35 years. He has three children and the youngest two have been in the Ocean City School District. Daughter Victoria graduated in 2013 and daughter Emily started in the district in kindergarten and is now a senior at Ocean City High School. Braun’s wife, Brenda, is a nurse educator.
Braun is running to get back on the board. He said he loves the community.
“I love the fact the heart of the community is the school district. The students are our future. I have been involved with the schools with PTA ,PTO, and After Prom all these years and it’s such a joy to see these kids learn and progress is such a good thing,” he said.
Braun touts his past experience on the board.
“I was asked to be chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. During that time I managed to do something that not too many people could do. In fact I believe I was the first one on the school board … the last month I was there I achieved and was awarded the certified school board member status by the New Jersey School Boards Association, which requires a lot of additional hours of training and participation in certain state and county activities,” he explained.
“I believe if you’re going to do something, in for a penny, in for a pound. Whether it’s working with the kids or a volunteer at the hospital or sitting on a planning board, you have to give it your all,” he said. “If you can’t give it your all, step back.”
Talking about the qualities he would bring to the board that make him a good representative of the community, Braun talked about his experience of putting his children through the schools, his experience in banking, serving on the Planning Board and organizations such as the PTA and PTO. Those, he said, “have given me good insight as to what this community is about and what we expect.”
Ryan Leonard, incumbent:
Will advocate for STEM, fairly represent all students
OCEAN CITY — Ryan Leonard said his sons, Jackson, 7, and Reid, 3, are what drives his passion for the Ocean City School District.
Leonard, who ran for school board last year, was appointed in August to fill a vacancy on the board.
“My boys are the reasons I want to contribute to our board. Getting appointed to the school board earlier this year has been a true honor; with the fresh leadership from Dr. (Matthew) Friedman, and the changes that are already under way in our district, couldn’t be more exciting,” he said.
He and his wife are both members of the Ocean City High School Class of 2001.
“My wife Samantha and I grew up here and I didn’t really understand how amazing Ocean City High School was until I left,” he said. “I went to college and realized the head start we had over many of our peers. In all honesty it allowed me gain more work experience during school, and set me on the path that ended with me running IT for a billion-dollar fintech company.”
Leonard said he will be a big advocate of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) pathways in education.
“All too often we pigeonhole what a South Jersey career needs to be. With more and more remote work, as well as high-paying tech jobs in Atlantic City, FAA Tech Center, etc. it’s time to rethink what work locally can be,” he said. “STEM isn’t just about teaching our kids about the technology. The practical applications of math and science reinforces the core learning, and keeps students so much more engaged.”
Leonard wants to fairly represent all students. “I believe now more than ever, our focus needs to be away from divisiveness and personal beliefs; and on our district, and students, period. We have had a recent influx of new voices, most of them positive, but the ones that aren’t seem to be increasingly loud and occasionally just hateful,” he said.
Getting the school board meeting recordings posted online may seem like a silly thing to some, but for young families that can’t always make a Wednesday dinnertime meeting, it has been a Godsend,” he said. “More can and should be done to better solicit feedback and concerns from all parents and guardians.”
Leonard sees a positive future ahead with the new superintendent of schools.
“Last month Dr. Friedman as his staff assembled over 30 stakeholders for a Learning 2025 Summit to help guide the vision of the skills and qualities that future graduates should have,” he said. “The most amazing thing was that a group of administrators, students, school board members, local business owners, parents, engaged in a room all day, with no real disagreement. When everyone is there for the right reasons, and just cares about our kids, it’s not at all contentious and the outcomes are amazing.”
He said his other qualities that will help him on the board are his “ability to have frank and open discussions” as well as leveraging his technology background.
Robin Shaffer, challenger:
Focus on academic excellence, conservative values, parental rights
OCEAN CITY — Robin Shaffer believes his extensive experience in education and past intelligence, leadership and analytical roles would bring informed decision-making to the Ocean City Board of Education.
He said he is passionate about education and has served in the field for over 28 years — as a teacher, special education administrator, principal, volunteer and graduate professor for Towson University and the College of Notre Dame. He is a third-generation educator, and holds a master’s degree in education.
“I have a diverse background in federal, state and local government that informs my decision-making. I believe in classical education, and common sense as well as conservative values. I want to see the local school board assert local decision-making over matters that are truly local in nature. We must stand up for our children and families in the face of government overreach by Trenton, the NJEA and by Governor Murphy,” he said.
Shaffer ran for school board last year year. He is a father of two sons who have attended Ocean City Intermediate School and Ocean City High School. He lives in the north end of Ocean City. He has undertaken many challenges, big and small — from driving a Zamboni for an NHL team to climbing Kilimanjaro to running a federal government food drive.
Shaffer was twice elected president of the Maryland Special Education Advisory Board, which advised the state Board of Education and state Superintendent of Schools on Special Education matters. He completed a Fulbright fellowship in 2011, surveying the Japanese public education system from pre-K to college. Following a career as a teacher and school administrator, he continued his service as a Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation specialist. In the 2010s, Shaffer said he worked in three top-secret roles with the State Department and DoD, first as director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the US Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan. Upon his return to Washington, he worked in counterterrorism for the State Department and Department of Defense.
Shaffer volunteers with the Humane Society of Ocean City as a dog walker and event photographer. He also substitute taught and volunteered with Ocean City’s schools. He runs the OCNJ School Discussion group on Facebook, and is a founding member and president of the Ocean City Alliance for Sensible Education.
Shaffer said he will focus on the following key priorities as a board member – academic excellence, common sense solutions, conservative values, decency and parental rights.
“I have seen our school board become more and more out of touch with the community it serves,” Shaffer said. “Decisions, such as the recent 6-5 vote to accept the new sex and gender ideology standards, underscore this trend. We need to have a school board that is accountable to all of its stakeholders – taxpayers, parents, children – not just teachers’ unions and politicians.
“It is alarming to see how many hours were spent hand-wringing over the standards which include controversial gender theory and other inappropriate topics. Our administrators and teachers have devoted a substantial percentage of their work days to implementing sexuality and gender competencies that are the purview of parents,” said Shaffer, who was outspoken against the state Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Standards he referenced about the recent vote.
“Let me be frank: I won’t let our children become guinea pigs for social justice crusaders. I want our schools to focus on fundamental skills in core subject areas to rebuild what was lost during the pandemic. Our school administrators and teachers should be free to work on core competencies in reading, writing, science, math, and social studies,” he said.
“We should be advancing those curricula and pedagogies, rather than focusing on pronouns. We have a long way to go to catch up. The children and families of Ocean City deserve a board of education that understands the academic and operational challenges and works to meet those challenges. I promise I will be a voice for families and for common sense if you send me to work on the school board.”
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff